


Ghost Channel Points

by Ivystars



Series: Works to cope with canon(tm) [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Afterlife, Angel of Death Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Author is a Technoblade Apologist (Video Blogging RPF), Author is a TommyInnit Apologist (Video Blogging RPF), Bad Parent Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Cara | CaptainPuffy and Jschlatt are Siblings, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Exiled TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Gen, Goat Hybrid Jschlatt (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt/Comfort, Mexican Dream and Alexis | Quackity are twins, Mexican Dream isnt Alexis | Quackity, Minor Alexis | Quackity/Jschlatt, Older Sibling Wilbur Soot, Older Siblings Wilbur Soot and Technoblade, Piglin Hybrid Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Wilbur Soot, Ram Hybrid Toby Smith | Tubbo, Twins Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings, Wilbur Soot raises Tommyinnit, Wilbur Soot-centric, Winged TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Winged Wilbur Soot, also, but mostly hurt with some comfort sprinkled in, even though that one doesnt show til later because wilburs a brat, ghost channel points, ghostbur and alivebur are not the same person, mostly canon compliant up to march 4th streams, rated for language, sbi mom is goddness of death, the afterlife is therapy thank god for that.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:09:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29979237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ivystars/pseuds/Ivystars
Summary: At the final resting place, two great enemies find themselves suck together. Forced to work together to be able to view the living, the men might actually find peace to rest in. If only they weren't spending all their time fretting over their families misfortunes.(Afterlife rewrite focusing mostly on Wilbur and Schlatt being ex best friends, SBI family dynamic and dadschlatt. Follows canon mostly up to Tommys march 4th stream)
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & Mexican Dream, Jschlatt & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Jschlatt & Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit, Jschlatt & Wilbur Soot, Mexican Dream & TommyInnit, Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit, wilbur soot & tommyinnit & toby smith
Series: Works to cope with canon(tm) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2211603
Comments: 9
Kudos: 118





	1. Waking up in the aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wibur finds himself regretting his decisions as hes forced to ponder his mistakes in tense silence.

If there was one thing Wilbur learnt, it was that the afterlife wasn't fair, even if death herself was.

When he’d first arrived, he went from choking on the stench of ash and shaking in his fathers hold to the comforting arms of his mother. She couldn't stay long, the goddess of death carried many responsibilities yet when she dropped him off on a small island in the void, alone with his greatest enemy, Wilbur felt himself fully processing his situation. He was dead. He was in the realm of his mother who had been forced to leave them after Tommys birth.

Before she felt, she briefly informed him of the rules of the plane, that while all residences are able to summon blocks and supplies. She told them it took energy and they should focus on summoning food mostly for the first few days. Schlatt had glared holes at his mother and Wilbur tensed. The man, as much as Wilbur currently hated him, had intricate knowledge of Wilbur’s family from the time he was Wilburs greatest support (the thought made Wilbur laugh now, Schlatt? Being supportive?) The woman was soon forced to return to her responsibilities, leaving Wilbur with a kiss on the forehead and Schlatt with a firm nod.

With her gone, the void was horribly empty. Without her warmth, Wilbur couldn't feel anything but the endless chill of the realm. He ached, seeing his mother reminded him painfully of his baby brother. While Tommy took firmly after Phil appearance wise, he radiated their mothers warmth far more than both Wilbur and Techno combined. He clenched his fist, remembering his last words towards his baby brother before he’d gone. Though he’d never wish this fate on his Toms, he ached for his presence, to be able to comfort and be comforted.

And yet, he wasn't truly alone, even if he wished he was. JSchlatt, his greatest enemy, the person who started this sickening cycle of betrayal with his sleazy grin and fake laughs was his only companion. 

The first few days were spent in bitter silence, both men feeling betrayed in their own ways. Wilbur hadn't had time to think since his and Tommys exile started, constantly worrying about his baby brothers safety, their plans of attack or Schlatt's treatment of his other boy, the one he took in as his own, Tubbo. As they sat, brewing in their thoughts, something hit Schlatt in the head. The horned man spun around on his dress shoes, eyes full of rage.

“Are you kidding me? Are you a fucking child Wilbur?! Resorting to fucking hitting me, are you six?!” Wilbur shot Schlatt, an unimpressed look, gesturing around.

“What the fuck would I hit you with? It takes energy I quite frankly don't have, to summon objects dumbass! Is the lack of alcohol making you hallucinate?!” The horned man gripped the terrorists hand before slapping a cool metal coin in it.

“Explain this then! Is it a button from your coat or something?!”

Wilbur fiddled with the coin, it was sliver, stamped with writing from a language he faintly recognized as the ruins his mother been desperate to teach him to read when she was pregnant with Tommy. As he mentally reviewed the language he’d quickly dropped after her disappearance, he felt something hit his head, when he grabbed it he found it was the same as the coin he was translating. Growing more confused and more annoyed at Schlatt’s whining, Wilbur sped up his translations. ‘Ghost point’ the coin said.

Wilbur growled under his breath and tossed the nonsense coins off the ledge of the void, fully expecting it to show up again on the ledge, same as he did when he flew off. Same as his beanie did when he tossed it angrily a day in. However as the coin faded from sight it glowed a bright blue, before forming into a small book and teleporting back onto the ledge.

Wilbur rushed towards the leather bound book, vaguely titled “ghost point instructions”. Wibur quickly opened it, momentary surprised to find it written in common instead of ruins. Schlatt gaped at him rushing over and babbling about Wilbur stealing his coin and somehow finding something to do from it. Wilbur, desperate for anything to distract himself from his own thoughts quickly attempted to make a compromise

“I got a coin as well, this was both of them together... Either we share or neither of us get anything to do.”

While Schlatt reacted in a glare it was.. Faint, faded from days of boredom. The horned man sighed before nodding.

They read through the manual quickly, finding that they would each be given a coin every hour after being in the afterlife for trail period of 3 days. The manual listed things they could trade their coins in for. The coins, seemingly worthless little chunks of metal, were able to be traded in for interactions with the living, from a portal that would allow them to stay updated on the living to physical time in the world of the living. Both men desperately yearned to speak to the living, the time giving them many doubts about their actions while alive. 

Yet they knew that it would take far too much time with nothing to do to just wait for points to show up. The men duly noted the lack of space for them to fully build two houses and reluctantly agreed to share a house and wait out their points. 

They decided it would work best to combine their coins together for a “window” to the living, after doing some math it would take them around 2 months to collect enough points to make a window. And so, a fragile alliance was formed.


	2. The shattering point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a week of tense silence, the dead men confront their glaring issues with one another and dig out deep set betrayals.

Wilbur didn't know what to think about Schlatt anymore.

First, the man had been his greatest friend, then he was a family member Wilbur distanced himself and his boys from, then finally the buck had quickly become his greatest enemy. The horned man was both his brother in all but blood and co-parent to their boys, Tommy and Tubbo, but he had also exiled Wil’s boy and killed his own. Now, a week into their project the man was neither, he wasn't the president who stormed Wilbur and his boy out of their home but he didn't hold a candle to the man that had once been Wilburs older brother.

Neither man mentioned the fact that Wilbur had added 2 extra rooms to the blueprint of the house, neither mentioned the beehive Schlatt had built in the back, nor did they mention the jukebox near the bench by the arch where they planned to build the window. They didn't mention a lot of things, and Wilbur was slowly but surely growing more and more frustrated.

Once they gained enough energy to do more than just eat (they couldn't starve, but the discomfort from refusing to eat had quickly made Wilbur and Schlatt stick to the routine) the dead men tended to their glowing wounds, things that simply served as markers of their deaths. Wilbur had to wrap his chest in bandaids to keep the glow from running through his newly summoned and non torn sweater. He couldn't do much to hide the constant bleeding from his ears from the explosions that he himself set off. It felt fitting to be marked by his greatest shame in a way he couldn't cover. 

The two men’s wounds glowed different colors, Wilburs a soft gold and Schlatt's a pure white. Wilbur assumed it meant something, but he couldn't bother to waste his limited time with his mum on asking.

The energy around the house was suffocating, and Wilbur found himself spending his time outside, spreading his wings. While they didn't exactly have a spacious yard, it was enough that Wilbur could breath. He dangled his legs over the ledge, what would it matter if he fell or if he soared? He couldn't escape. It wouldn't get him any closer to his fledgling, to his Tommy. Wouldn't take away the harm he did to his baby and the boy he raised alongside him. Wilbur sighed got up from the ledge guilty wandering in for the 5th time that week.

Not for the first time, Wilbur wondered why Schlatt and him were alone here. Why did the goddess of death, his own mother, place him in this miserable isolation, with only his greatest enemy?

They reached the boiling point a week and a half into their alliance, when Wilbur mentioned feeling horrible about the way he left the world for his boys.

“Tubbo is not your son, dickhead!.”

“That's not what the paperwork says, Schlatt! You fucking killed him-”

“How dare you- you piece of shit! You stole my son from me and made him betray me!”

“BETRAY YOU?! SCHLATT YOU ALMOST TOOK TOMMY'S LAST LIFE DURING YOUR FUCKING POWERP LAY EXILE!” Wilbur was standing now, eyes glassy thinking of how the arrow that stole his second life had been aimed at tommy.

“YOU KNOW I DIDN'T MEAN FOR IT TO GO THAT FAR WILBUR! I ONLY EXILED HIM BECAUSE I KNEW HOW PAINFUL IT IS TO LOSE YOUR KID WILBUR! I HATE YOU BUT I COULD NEVER TAKE TOMMY FROM YOU!” And suddenly the rising heat oh the conversation dropped. Wilburs face paled and he spoke in a whisper.

“...Is that what you think?”

“What the hell do you mean by that Wil?!”

“That I stole Tubbo… You fucking think I stole Tubbo dont you?!”

“Are you dumb Wilbur? Of fucking course I do! One day were all a happy fucking family and the next everyones gone Wil! You fucking moved servers in the night with both of our boys! I lost everything fucking everything that day Will!”

“Schlatt… you told me to take Tubbo and Tommy away from you… You almost hit Tubbo Schlatt.”

“I… I didnt- I wouldnt have done that-”

“Thats exactly how you fucking reacted last time Schlatt! You were horrified and demanded that I took the boys away and you’d message me when you were sober… you never fucking messaged me Schlatt! I heard that you stopped drinking from the fucking news Schlatt! So pardon me for assuming you didn't want anything to do with our family! Fucking pardon me for seeing history repeating itself!”

“...I didn't stop drinking until a few years after you left… I don't remember much from those first years alone.” Wilbur gaped at the buck seeming frozen as he realized all of what the conversation implied.

“We fucked up didn't we, Schlatt?”

“We really did Will… We really did..”

The tension in the room almost tangibly faded into remorse. Wilbur was tired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> imma try to update this daily but I might miss a day or post multiple a day depending on my schoolwork load uov;ibriosf.


	3. Healing, however brief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur and Schlatt start to heal

Things got easier after that, finally Wilbur understood why one of his loved ones left him. 

He might never get an explanation for his father’s neglect or his twins desperation to appease their father. But finally, he understood why Schlatt betrayed him in such an intense way after finally reuniting. Wilbur didn't have to mourn the man who helped him through so much, the man who, while he had 2 brothers biologically, was the closest thing he had to a brotherly relationship. The relationship was salvageable. 

It was funny in a tragic way, Wilburs relations with brothers. Schlatt became a brother yet forced Wilbur away with his drinking. Tubbo could be considered a brother, he was surely Tommys at least. Yet while Wilbur was his legal guardian the two never truly grew past an older brother and their baby brothers best friend, they were undoubtably close but it wasn't the same. In a sense, it would be weird for Tubbo to be Wilburs brother, the boy was Wilburs nephew. Fundy feel into a similar same hole, Wilbur had adopted the man to help him out of legal trouble with his abusive mother, yet the adoption never truly affected the relationship, they were close friends at best. On the other hand, Techno, born his twin, had all but left him and Tommy for dead and only returned with a promise for war. At this point the brothers were only related by blood. And his Tommy, his boy, his baby, was never really his brother, the boy was his son. 

As the weeks passed and they got closer and closer to getting a window, to being able to see their boys again the men found themselves falling into patterns, Wilbur made the meals and Schlatt cleaned up. It was strange, but in a way, it was home.

After they’d done the days worth of building they would sit down and just… talk. They would talk about the things they missed:

(“It was awful you know? When Tubbo's horns grew in without you. I kinda forgot that mammal hybrids grow their traits later in life and aren't born with em like me and Tommy you know? I thought he was dying at first and Tommy cried about it for days straight, even after we found out it was just his horns. They really love each other, you know?”

“Fuck- was he in pain?”

“We took him to the town doctor, they got him some strong painkillers, Tubbo was ok Schlatt.”)

About dumb jokes they had heard:

(“I spent years searching for my ex girlfriend's killer…”

“PFFFTT I get the point is their half jokes but I NEED more context Schlatt what the fuck-”)

But most importantly they talked about what they did wrong. They knew if they saved up their points enough they would be able to speak to their boys, hopefully when they were together. But they couldn't bear the thought of hurting their kids even more.

The window was important, Wilbur NEEDED to be able to check up on his boy and his friends, on what remained of his country. But he also needed to make amends, Wilbur had hurt both Tommy and Tubbo in his paranoia. He gave them hope then destroyed it with a cackled laugh, turning the home he made to keep them safe into nothing but ash and rubble. He needed to be there, he didn't even know who their current guardian was. 

He found himself hoping Schlatt's older sister, Captain Puffy, had stepped in but found this hope squashed as he realized she would have had no way of knowing the boys were alone without him being able to message her. When he voiced his fears of his boy's custody he found himself met with a familiar yet dearly missed banter.

“You think Aunt Puffy would let her nephews waddle around with no guidance for long? Sure you’ve met my sister, shitstain?”

“She's the one thats you but better in every way right?”

“Fuck off Wil! I'm a full foot taller than her!”

“I think you may have contracted dementia Billy o buck! if I remember correctly she's in between our heights”

“Why you-”

And as Schlatt launched himself at Wilbur, Wilbur found himself smiling, truly smiling, for the first time since the election. His boys would be alright, and he was only 5 weeks from being able to see them brightening up the world again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Todays streams wrecked me loL-


	4. The ghost in ghost channel points

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur and Schlatt find a way to gain points quicker.

Wilbur hadn't been truly settled into a home since the last time he’d lived with Schlatt. 

He was always on the move when it was just him and his boys. Town to town as his boys grew up and grew bored of each and every civilization they found themselves in. Tommy and Tubbo never really made friends outside of each other, always content to simply be by themselves. 

When they finished the house, customized to truly feel like home, Wilbur found himself moving into old patterns. It was nice sometimes, he started writing music again to waste time while he desperately waited to gain more points. 

Other times it only opened closed wounds, Wilbur would find himself making 4 plates instead of 2. Schlatt would make grim eye contact with him across the far too empty table and they would share a moment of grief before swiftly packing up the plates for a future meal.

Things were getting better but Wilbur was growing impatient, he wanted so desperately to know how his boys were doing, yet it would be another 4 weeks before they’d have enough points to buy the window. So when his mother came for her weekly visit Wilbur found himself asking.

She seemed hesitant to tell them anything and Schlatt leaped.

“I have no idea your opinion on my son, but yours is asking for your help, something you never provided for him in his life as your son to aid your youngest. If I was in your situation I would leap at this chance, before you lose them both.”

“Its… not that simple. The only way to gain ghost points quicker is to send out what the living know as ghosts.”

“We can become ghosts?! Mom why the hell didn't you tell us this before?! I could have been helping tommy-”

“Its not that simple Wil. Ghosts aren't you… they're a representation of you numbed down, with only your last emotion present. They can range from friendly to viscous but they certainly are not substitutes for the dead.”

“I’l make one.”

“Wilbur you cant be serious, from what you’ve told me you fucking exploded L’manburg before Phil killed you-”

“Phil did what?!”

“Let me finish! Those emotions are likely more dangerous than even mine! I was bitter and angry but im sure its nothing compared-”

“-I died content. I asked him to kill me myself. I'm going to send it out whether you like it or not. I need to know that my Tommys safe.”

The room was tense before his mother sighed and let him win, knowing all of her boys were brutally stubborn. She explained the process in detail, explaining that she herself had to focus on manipulating the void to form the specter itself. It was up to the dead men to form the specters personality and greet it.

Making a specter was a complex and time consuming project, but it wasn't like the dead-men needed time. After the summoning was complete, Wilbur watched on amused as his specter babbled to Schlatt. The obvious shade smiled as he raved about how he would help rebuild, how he’d help Tommy. Wilbur smiled but when the specter saw him, his happy face turned bitter. 

“Alivebur.”

“First off im dead, second off that's the dumbest name i've ever heard-”

“I hate you, you know? It's your fault my Tommys hurting.”

Wilbur paled, fucking hell, how did he forget about the self loathing he’d felt as he died? Part of Wilbur wanted so badly to destroy the shadow, protect the livings image of him. Then he remembered the reason he was doing this… it was this or waiting another month. Wilbur was never good at waiting.

They named the shadow of Wilbur’s contentedness Ghostbur, to much of Wilbur’s dismay.

(“No im not going to name my ghost fucking Ghostbur!”

“I’ll make dinner for a week, please birdbrain”

“...you do make banging pancakes… fine”

“That's a breakfast meal- you know what never mind i'll take it!”

“I like the name Ghostbur! It seems… Separate from Alivebur.” The newly named Ghostbur grinned.)

After Ghostbur left in Wilburs mothers arms, Wilbur felt intense relief. While the spirit wasn't what Wilbur had hoped for, he wouldn't hurt anyone, hell he might even be able to help people! He found himself grinning. Maybe Ghostbur could be a point of redemption. Schlatt looked over at him and laughed. The dead men felt the tension leave their shoulders and grinned at each other. For the first time in a decade, the two could almost be mistaken for their boys.


	5. Opening a window

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur and Schlatt catch up with the living.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to update this later but i misclicked ufdhw uh early chapter then ig???

Wilbur found himself dreading the day they were able to purchase the window. Yet he wasn't quite sure why. Was it because he was scared his boys were hurting from his actions? or was it because he feared injuries from the explosions, what if he actually injured Tommy or Tubbo and died before he found out? Or was it because he was scared his boys didn't mourn him… didn't care for the fact that he was physically gone when he’d left them emotionally months before? 

Wilbur figured it was a combination of the 3. 

Wilbur found himself in the garden they had built, phantom bees buzzing around happily and the mooing of Henry Wilbur had begged his mother to bring filled the void. If he had just closed his eyes, maybe he could pretend to be in Ghostbur's place, able to support his boys. 

Eventually, as the pile of coins grew at his feet, Schlatt weary approached him. His best friend walked with a sense of purpose Wilbur hadn't seen in him since before Wilbur left with the boys to a new world. 

“..Dreading it isn't going to make it better Wil, we won't be able to help them if we dont know whats happening with them”

“...Reasonably I know that… but what if we were wrong? What if I fucked up worse than I feared? What if-”

“Wil, just- just shut up for once in your life ok? Even if that were the case, if you don't know you can't do shit about it. I fucked up ok? Tubbos never gonna trust me again, but the fact of the matter is, if I bothered to learn what happened that night, we would probably still be with our kids.”

Wilbur did not respond, he simply grimly summoned his bank and poured his coins in a pile, Schlatt quickly following. Once the pile had been made in the spot they had designated for the ‘window’ they started to glow and give off a loud white noise.

Wilbur found himself staring at the bright light, desperate to find a glimpse of his fledgling or his buckling, until he could no longer see or hear Schlatt screaming at him to close his eyes. Wilbur fell limp as the static in both his ears and eyes reached his limbs. 

As Wilbur hastily blinked away the dark spots in his vision and attempted to stand, he strained to hear what Schlatt was monologging about. He duly noted Schlatt's hands on his shoulders shaking him in place. As his vision cleared Wilbur noted that Schlatt's lips weren't moving.

Suddenly aware, Wilbur shot up from where he’d fallen, slamming against Schlatt in his haste. Panting, Wilbur shook as he stumbled toward the window desperately attempting to catch sight of his tommy. In a flash Wilbur realized just how deep the betrayal and paranoia he’d drilled into his Tommy and pushed onto his Tubbo went, as it hit him who was speaking.

Tubbo. Tubbo who sounded just like Schlatt as he grimly repeated the actions that had ripped their little family apart. Tubbo, following in his fathers footsteps. Tubbo who was no longer truly Wilbur’s. And Tubbo, who, as he banished Wilbur’s Tommy for the second time, who seemed grimly apathetic towards the one who he should have considered his little brother. Wilbur screeched as he realized this time, his Tommy would truly be alone.

Wilbur shook in rage as he saw the pure horror dawning in his fledglings once bright blue eyes. He clenched his fist, he finally saw Tommys point, that Wilburs paranoia was tearing their family apart, only to be proven right in the worst way possible.

He sobbed, wanting nothing more than to be able to take a physical form and protect his baby. He remembered his mothers last words to him before she left to continue her role as Death.  
“Protect him Wilby, you're going to need each other my little fledglings.”

At the time Wilbur couldn't see how he could possibly need the squishy little bundle his mother had pushed into his arms, but now Wilbur needed nothing more than his baby's presence. Slowly, as if Wilbur has a feral animal, Schlatt approached. His hair was slightly disheveled from the tumble he took from Wilbur shoving him and his eyes were wide in shock.

“-bur! Wil! Uh fuck- shithead! Birdbrain!”

“Tubbo did this…”

“Wil! Fuck… Tubbos my kid Wil-”

“NO! HE FUCKING DID THIS! HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF SCHLATT! THAT LITTLE SHITS FUCKING REPEATING IN OUR FOOTSTEPS! MY BABY CAN'T TAKE THIS SCHLATT!”

“Fuck- Wil breathe… I'm not excusing this, but we need context Wil, god knows how much lack of communication has hurt our family.”

“I-I did this to them didn't I? I fucked up, now our boys won't know peace…”

“Wil I- Fuck wheres Dream taking Tommy?!”

Wilburs eyes shot towards the window watching in mounting horror as his fledgling was grabbed by his arm and dragged off by Dream. Tommy didn't even seem aware of it, eyes unmoving from his brother's cold face. Tubbo shook his head at Tommy, seemingly in disappointment before turning away. Tommy released a small whine from the back of his throat before he truly lost sight of the home he’d lost two of his lives for. 

Wibur could distantly hear Fundy and Quackity yelling at Tubbo in protest but his vision tunneled on his boy, his little spitfire, who for once in his life didn't fight back. Thorns wrapped around Wilburs heart, pins and needles digging in as he sobbed. Schlatt quickly pulled him into a hug, trying to hide the image of their boy getting dragged into a boat from his brother. Wilbur twisted and turned in his hold, desperate to see his sons final moments in the home he’d created and destroyed. 

Schlatt was stiff in his hold, seemingly carrying the guilt of his son's terrifyingly familiar actions. 

Wilbur almost wanted his twin there. Because for all the hatred he held towards Techno, Techno, unlike their father, would stand up for Tommy. Wilbur wanted so many things, he wanted Niki, his best friend, to stand up for his boy the way she stood up for him. He wanted Fundy, who was at least close to the family, to be heard by the stoic Tubbo. Hell he’d even take a miracle of Phil being a half decent father to Tommy! Anything for his little songbird to be taken back within the walls he’d built to keep him safe, or at least keep him company.

Wilburs wishful thinking was granted in a way he never would have never foreseen, as his permanently cheerful shade clambered onto the boat with his Tommy, rambling about a vacation. Wilbur found slight relief in that fact that for all his wrong doings, at least he did something right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :), also Wilbur kinda jumps around in his titles for tommy (ie he calls him both his son and his baby brother depending on the if his refering to him alone or with a group) so sorry if thats a little confusing!


	6. A tapered flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy's exile starts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tws: abuse, manipulation, flashbacks, panic attacks and implied ptsd honestly c!dream is a tw in himself

Watching Tommy’s exile and not being able to help had to be one of the most painful things Wilbur had ever experienced. He was completely useless to aid his boy. The man who one held the world in his hands was unable to do anything to keep it together.

He stood in horror as his baby stared off into the ocean behind him, eyes begging to go back. When Tommy softly asked if he would ever be able to return to his home, he was greeted with a slap to the face. Tommy stopped talking after that. It seemed like something that defied the laws of nature, Tommy being that silent, his boy had been babbling since he first learned to talk. Anything from loudly singing able sisters to joking with Tubbo, Tommys voice was a part of him and his presence. Without it the boy seemed dulled out, as if someone had taken his spark away. Wilbur mourned his baby's voice. Rage filled his being, when Dream dies, there will be hell to pay.

Wilburs shade’s expression matched Wilburs for a split second before he went back to smiling unaware as always. As Ghostbur smiled at Tommy and gleefully asked where they were going, Wilbur screamed in frustration. Tommy seemed like he has considering explaining before only Dream grabbed his shoulder harshly. Like a dog scolded, the boy remained silent. The masked man smiled beneath his mask. After what felt like hours in tense silence, they came upon a shore. After he settled the boat, Dream all but threw Wilbur’s fledgling out onto the burning sand. The horrid man then quickly started digging, much too everyone, both dead and alive's confusion. 

Tommy stared up at the man blankly, question clear in his glassy eyes. Ghostbur, on the other hand, held no such sense of subtlety and was eager to ask. The shade was met with a dismissive wave before the masked man climbed out of the hole grabbed Tommy's arm. The boy flinched at the contact, a corrupt twist of the reassuring hold Wilbur always kept on the boy when they were in battle.

“Put your items in the hole”

“What?”

“I said put your items in the hole, Tommy. This is for your own good” The masked man’s nails dug into the boys arm as he increased his hold, breaking skin.

“How the fuck is this- fuck ow ok!”

As Tommy mournfully loaded his hard earned belongings into the hole, Wilbur seethed, how dare this man take away Tommys materials after abandoning him in the woods. How dare this man hurt his baby than claim to want best! As Tommy finished he was shoved away from the pit before the sound of tnt lighting filled the air. 

Tommy’s eyes widened in horror as the sound of explosions filled the air. He fell to the ground like a puppet cut from their strings before desperately clasping his hands over his ears. Wilburs boy was sobbing, why was he sobbing, why was this of all things the breaking point? As the explosions faded out Wilbur could finally hear what his boy was saying.

“Fuck- Im sorry Wil, don't leave, Wil- dad no- Don't go dad please-”

Wilbur broke. He did this. He couldn't even cry anymore, he’d lost awareness in his surroundings, stuck in the past. 

“Let's be the bad guys Tommy!”

“If I can't have L’Manburg no one can have L’Manburg!”

“You’ll never be president Tommy!”

“And Tubbo, your president of a creator!-”

"Kill me Philza! Killza!!!"

"Theres a saying thats been going around lately, you might have heard it? It was never meant to be!"

Tommy was there, Tommy saw his absent father kill his only real parental figure, Tommy had fucking flashbacks of his death-

“-WILBUR! WIL BREATHE, YOUR GOING TO PASS OUT MAN. FUCKING RESPOND WIL-”

Wilbur reasonably knew his brother was the one trying to grab his attention, however as he became slightly more grounded he couldn't keep his eyes off the window, what would dream do next? What if Tommy didn't build a shelter, even with Wilburs own ghost hassling him about it? what if-"

As Wilbur became more aware of his surroundings he heard one last thing from the window.

“I’ll come visit tomorrow Tommy! We’ll have loads of fun!”

And Wilbur did not doubt that the man wouldn't return, but damn if he didn't wish the tides would tear the man to bits, never to be off again, never to hurt Wilburs baby again. He wished hell upon the man that had harmed his child time and time again. The man that took 2 of Tommy's 3 lives without no remorse. The man that if he ever did die would be in for hell, as he had made an enemy of both the mad king and the lady of death. As Wilbur sobbed, Schlatt pulled him into a hug. He sobbed into his older brother's shirt, knowing his baby had lost all of his only older brothers.


	7. A rebel to dreams cause

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy meets Mexican Dream in Exile

Tommy had been in exile for a week.

When he’d fallen asleep that first night Schlatt started fiddling with the window, finding that it allowed the person controlling it to view their closest earthly ties, Schlatt could flip the perspective between Tubbo and Quackity and Wil could do the same with Tommy and Niki. The information had a chance to be helpful, but neither Schlatt nor Wilbur would dare leave Tommy alone for long in the hours he was awake, what if something even worse happened?

Mom returned briefly face full of tears, to comfort the only son she could hold, yet pray that she reunite with her youngest any time soon. The goddess of death and her son weeped for the living. She was forced to leave and fulfill her responsibilities yet she left Wilbur with a device to contact her if he needed anything. Wilbur was intent on staring at his baby's gaunt face to focus on her words.

Tommy started receiving letters from the new kid, Ranboo. Apparently the two had committed minor arson together

(“that's my boy! They grow up so fast, first arson, next tax evasion!”

“Schlatt-this is why I do the advice stuff- holy shit-”)

which led to Tommy getting exiled. From the letters, the boy seemed to really care about Tommy and feel remorse for what happened. Wilbur liked Ranboo.

The newest letter contained news, there was a new member of the server. The man refused to tell people his name, jokingly telling them to call him Mexican Dream, the actual Dream apparently joined in on the gag. From what Ranboo could tell, the men seemed close, it must have been an inside joke of some sorts. Wilburs stomach turned at the idea of the masked man being human enough to have inside jokes.

The dead men didn't expect to ever actually see Mexican Dream from their perspective of exile, so imagine their surprise when the man showed up after the real dream had left for the day, destroying Tommy's brief progress. Mexican Dream held himself with a cheerful air, yet seemed nervous at the prospect of meeting Tommy. He wore a mask similar to dream, but painted in the colors of the Mexican flag When the man introduced himself and saw the boy flinch he quickly told the boy to just call him MD and tossed the mask. 

Under the mask, the man looked identical to Quackity. Schlatt tensed at the sight, Wilbur knew the relationship turnt toxic towards the end, with both of them constantly doing small little things that wedded down the others confidence in themself or pushed them into horrible habits. Wilbur offered Schlatt a hug as the man quickly flipped the mirror to Quackity. The man certainly wasn't Mexican dream as he was out mining. They were quick to flip back and found Tommy staring at MD in confusion. The man chuckled before explaining they were twins. 

MD was surprisingly kind, he seemed uncomfortable whenever his namesake was mentioned and attempted to aid Tommy in collecting resources. It baffled Wilbur, that this man who had never met Tommy before all this was so quick to aid him with a smile. Tommy was laughing for the first time since Tubbo had exiled him. Wilbur desperately hoped MD stayed kind.

The man was a breath of fresh air, with a witty and familiar sense of humor that sent Tommy into a spiral of giggles. Wilbur was relieved to hear him laugh again. He knew Tommy and Quackity were quite close, so it was nice that Tommy had a similar relationship with the man's twin. Wilbur saw Tommy hold hope for the first time since Wilbur gave the presidency to Tubbo. 

Ghostbur was also a common face in exile, the shade had built himself a small house near Tommy’s tent. Tommy had seemed desperate to convince himself that the newly named Logstedshire was a temporary home, while the spirit was far more open to staying. With the new member Tommy seemed more willing to settle down, after all he was slowly freezing with only the thin fabric of the tent to keep him warm in the night. 

Maybe it was just a miracle or maybe MD had pulled some strings, because Dream didn't visit exile for a week. Tommy slowly started to come out of his tightly drawn shell, feeling more and more comfortable on the tiny island. 

Ghostbur had wandered off half way through the week, happily stating that he was going to visit L’manburg. The shade had invited Tommy to come with him only to be disappointed when the child's face dropped. 

MD was quick to cheer the boy up, the only way he knew how.

“Tommmmmyyyy did I ever tell you about the time Dream shit his pants at my house?” The disappointment quickly faded as the boy's face filled with glee.

“Dream did what?! Common man you need to give me more than just that-”

“I mean Quackity and I might have stirred it on but you’re NOT allowed to tell him that-”

“I fear yet strive for your chaotic power, how’d you do it you mad man?”

Wilbur smiled on as his boy giggled. It would take time but Tommy was healing. Things were finally righting themselves.

With all the new arrivals maybe Puffy would get an Invitation, maybe she could talk Tubbo into undoing the exile. Maybe things were finally going to be fixed. In the background, the island the dead men occupied grew in preparation of a new cohabitant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also made a two shot about Tommys canon death from Quackity's perspective, its not at all canon to this story but if you want, check it out! Its the second part in the series or linked here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30040125/chapters/73971588


	8. Two thirds till heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur was surprised by Dreams reaction to MD. He'd heard they were childhood friends, yet the punch in greeting told him otherwise
> 
> (tws: Major character death, semi graphic violence, abuse, both physical and emotional, manipulation)

If this damned server had taught Wilbur one thing, it would be that good things never stay for long. It wasn't a surprise when Dream returned, even if it made Wilbur want to claw his eyes out. Schlatt’s fists tightened at his side. 

Dream returning wasn't surprising, but his reaction to MD certainly was. From what Wilbur and Schlatt had heard, the men were childhood friends, the pair raised in the same neighborhood with Quackity and Sapnap. So it was shocking when the masked man's first reaction to MD was to punch him. MD didn't even seem surprised, his eyes full of rage. 

“Dream, what the hell is wrong with you?”

“Whats wrong with me? Your undoing all of Tommy's process! You know i'm going to have to punish him more because you pulled this bullshit don't you?”

“You shouldn't be punishing him in the first place! He was exiled not fucking imprisoned!”

“You know what? I'm getting really sick of your tone! Do I need to train you?”

“What the fuck is wrong with you mate?! Neither me nor tommy are fucking dogs!”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Dream lunged at MD with a manic laugh. MD didn't phase and immediately matched the masked man's stance. The two matched each other in skill and style, neither able to grab higher ground due to knowing the others moves too well. Hearing the commotion, Tommy bolted towards the campsite. 

Dream grinned at the boy's appearance, his plan coming together perfectly. 

“Tommy, didn't I tell you that you weren't supposed to leave Logstedshire? This is what happens when you disobey me.”

“Don't you fucking dare blame him for this you rat bastard-”

Mexican Dream was slain by Dream with Nightmare.

Tommys scream was horrific. He’d fallen onto the ashy floor with tears in his eyes. He shook in place unseeingly staring at Dream. The masked man approached him with a swagger, smug at the sight. Wilbur felt sick, to think he once worked with this maniac.

“He has 2 lives left, Tommy. I suggest you start obeying me immediately.”

Tommy nodded far too quickly. Wilbur paled, the boy he raised and cared for overall looking so unlike himself. Tommy was never meant to be obedient, his natural rebellion was one of the things that made Tommy, Tommy. 

Schlatt growled at his left, both dead men filled with hatred at the command. Yet it seemed the man whose life was being threatened had other plans. The man burst from the house he shared with Ghostbur with an axe, rushing at the abuser. 

Dream had the gull to look annoyed, quickly matching the shorter man's pace.

“You're being a traitorous pawn, Mexican Dream. Luckily for me you’ve almost undone your use.” MD caught his blade as he attempted to swing it at his neck.

“Is that how you fucking see this?! Dream do you not care about anything we’ve been through?!” The shorter man caught the taller in the arm. The masked man growled, before leaping at the man, catching him in a chokehold.

“You see, that's the difference between you and me. I have no attachments.”

Mexican Dream was slain by Dream with Nightmare.

“Well thats one life now! He’s almost with your other ‘mentors’ Tommy! Maybe you're just cursed huh? You're lucky I'm such a good friend Toms. Otherwise I'd make you join them. You’d really ought to be more grateful to me. At least i’ll never leave you”

“...Yes Dream.”

“Items, hole, now.”

“Yes Dream.”

And as Tommy swiftly poured out a week's worth of food, tools and armor, his 3 mentors mourned the boy's independence.


	9. A new arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exile continues as conflicts rise. 
> 
> (tws: major character death, violence, abuse, self loathing and manipulation)

It was terrifying, watching helplessly as his boy walked senselessly towards the cold unforgiving sea. Wilbur found himself desperate for an answer as to why his baby did this, but was horrified when he found it. His boy was walking home, to a home that no longer accepted and loved him. To a home that in truth died with Wilbur. He took his L’manburg down with him, but at what cost? 

Tensions only grew at the small campsite. Dream returned like clockwork, every morning, at 7 sharp the man would kick Tommy awake if the boy hadn't sleepwalked into the ocean. Somehow Wilbur found himself a target, someone who he hated more than he hated himself, when he first saw Dream refuse to give the boy cpr. The masked man let Wilburs fledgling choke and suffer as the he watched on, seemingly fascinated. Wilbur plotted everything he would do to destroy dream if he ever made it to the world of the living.

After the boy awoke, either to kicking or choking, Dream was quick to demand the few resources the malnourished boy had harvested and rid the boy of them in the most traumatic way possible. If the boy had sleepwalked into the ocean or spoke in protest , his tormentor would punish him. 

The only thing Tommy managed to hide from the man was a small compass, ironically given to him by Wilburs shadow, dainty marked ‘Your Tubbo’ in a script that perfectly matched his own.

The worst of these punishments came in the smiling man breaking Tommy's left wing. MD did all he could to repair it, casting it tightly and carefully instructing the boy on how to avoid using it. For the first time in his life, Tommy lost his only sense of freedom. He lost the only thing he truly had left of his Wilbur and a distant mother he barely knew. Tommy mourned.

Over in the afterlife neither of the dead men fared well either, Wilbur refused to do anything but barely sleep and watch his boy suffer. While Schlatt wasn't faring much better emotionally, the man stepped up the the trialing work of keeping a semi sense of morality, making meals before rushing out to eat them at the window. 

MD slightly ceased in his verbal attacks against Dream, fearful that Tommy would face the repercussions for his actions. The boy himself barely spoke or ate. Only speaking to agree with dreams commands to cease the man's attacks. Soon, Dream didn't even have anything to destroy on his daily visits. 

MD grew more and more nervous, leaving the campsite while Tommy was asleep. Wilbur wished he had bonded to the man so he could figure out what he was doing. It all came ahead when one day, after the masked man had seemingly left, MD approached Tommy. 

“We should run away.” The boy attempted to speak, yet the lack of doing so made it painful. He stared at MD questioningly yet with horror, attempting to get his point across.

“I have some materials gathered. He’s hurting you bud… I can't stand by while that bastard continues to do this shit.”

“You know… I was looking for a reason why you’ve been so quiet lately Mexican Dream. It seems you’ve become an infestation and are infesting my best friend. He’s been so good lately don't you agree?”

The masked man pulled a sword and held it at MD’s neck. Tommy spoke a word of protest for the first time in a week

“Please dream, please don't-.” The man mentioned snarled.

“I thought i’d trained all that protest out of you… seems I was wrong… you'll have to be punished for hiding these materials from me along with MD then. Goodbye old friend.”

And as MD scrambled, his head was yanked from his body. The masked man cackled as the child screeched. The dead men sat in horror as the void scrambled to make room for the new arrival. 

Dream yanked Tommy from the floor planting TNT around the campsite while gleefully dragging the child behind him. He grinned as the child panicked hearing the explosions destroy the only home he had left. The boy sobbed as his home and father figure were blown to bits for the second time. 

“Well, I hope you’ve learnt your lesson now Tommy. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Tommy stared dully as the only company he had left. He stumbled down into the explosion site, picking up all the loose materials before he started building up. 

A light passed through the after life yet both its inhabitants here far too occupied to notice. A mother entered the afterlife with a new arrival to hear her son sob for her youngest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note on sbi's wings: Phil has wings from Deaths blessing, however they look different than Tommy, Wilbur and Deaths because they were born with them instead of blessed with them.


End file.
